Tony's: great Italian flavor in a casual café setting

Apr. 5, 2013

Loading Photo Galleries ...

Written by

Ed Peaco/For the News-Leader

The cheese ravioli usually comes with the creamy tomato sauce also used in the chicken mezzaluna, but Garcia used a tangy tomato sauce with this dish for variety. Ed Peaco/For the News-Leader

More

ADVERTISEMENT

Tony Garcia has achieved a goal for himself that will benefit a large cross-section of Italian-food lovers. He set his sights on bringing the culinary quality of his fine dining restaurant, Avanzare, to a new location that would be more casual and affordable.

The result, Tony’s Italian Café, would not have been possible without the attractive rent for the building on South Campbell Avenue just north of Battlefield Road.

“It’s a friendly restaurant for kids, and I think the prices are the best for the quality that I’m doing,” he said. The family-oriented, neighborhood aspect of the restaurant is enhanced with two appealing features — complimentary bread and the choice of soup or salad included in the price for many entrées.

The bread is hearty — crispy on the outside and firm on the inside. Garcia said he wanted to have just one type of bread for the café, and it would be baked fresh every morning at Avanzare, which makes focaccia and baguette.

“I was trying to figure out how to keep only one bread here, so I combined both of the recipes and made one,” Garcia said. It works well at the table, and it also can be used for paninis, he said.

The restaurateur provided several dishes for tasting and offered a few observations about them.

Beef meatball pizza ($11.99): A giant homemade meatball, sliced, with red onions and mushrooms with mozzarella cheese. There was a little bite to the beef, a flavor that suggested sausage. Garcia explained that the fat around the outside of the all-beef meatball becomes a little crunchy, which changes the flavor a little. The meatball, fortified with onions and spices, is firmly packed. When sliced, it becomes meatloaf. Meatballs can be ordered with spaghetti or as a side dish.

Chicken mezzaluna ($12.99): Half moon chicken ravioli with mushrooms toasted in a marinara sauce with cream and vodka. Chicken appears inside the ravioli and also sprinkled across the dish. The cream adds an almost cheesy essence, and the ravioli filling has an invitingly smooth texture, thanks to the ricotta cheese.

(Page 2 of 2)

Cheese ravioli ($12.69): The ravioli filling had an exciting blend of flavors, which Garcia enumerated: spinach, rosemary, basil and a blend of ricotta, parmesan and pecorino cheeses. “It’s a lot of work, but I think we need to do it that way, just to be a little different,” he said. The sauce is the same creamy tomato as in the mezzaluna. However, customers may request marinara for a tangy flavor.

Mediterranean salmon ($15.99): Pan-sautéed salmon, olives, capers, and artichoke hearts with white wine and a splash marinara. This treatment transformed salmon into a savory Italian adventure. Cooked to medium, the delicate texture of the fish contrasted with the bold flavors of the sauce. The side vegetables — carrots, green and red pepper, spinach and onion — were cooked firm, a welcome touch.